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Niefel AAR: "...Some Say In Ice"
…Some Say In Ice: An Introduction
Some say the world will end in fire, Some say in ice. From what I've tasted of desire I hold with those who favour fire. But if it had to perish twice, I think I know enough of hate To say that for destruction ice Is also great And would suffice. - Robert Frost It is the chipping of the ice that awakens me in the end, I guess. A small matter, perhaps, yet one that interferes with my solitude. For ages I have sat on my Frozen Throne encased in ice as the affairs of the world pass without my ken. Encased – or imprisoned? I may never know. The ice sheathed me like my mother’s womb and I knew peace in my long sleep. Whether I was the victim of capricious nature or of the deliberate malice of an envious god I know not, but my fate was sealed and my internment eternal, or very nearly so. My throne, my kingdom, my people, all lost to the aeons, victims of time’s arrow. That is no longer the case. The ceaseless work of the small Jotuns has born fruit at Last. Driven by the law and will of their high mages, the Skrattis, these miniscule descendants of the race of giants have been chipping away at my prison for centuries, tunnelling through the ice as they seek the Frozen Throne. A brief period of time, perhaps, but though small in stature they are tireless in their dedication and, at Last, at long Last, they reach the throne… And awaken me. The world is hot, so hot, and the race of giant-kin diminished when I open my eyes on the world that is. Heat has triumphed! I feel an anger freezing in my heart as I stretch forth my wrathful dominion over the willing Jotuns, in Siberia and in Ultima Thule, and I let my voice ring with the rising gale. By my will, I fashion the tools needed to reawaken my lesser brethren and give them into the hands of the willing Skrattis. The Niefel giants will walk the earth once more and together we will make of this world a frozen globe. And if, in the fullness of time, I manage to reawaken the Rimtursar, then the world shall know peace as was meant to be. This time, the world will end in ice, and it will be… Final. First things must come first, however, and I need lieutenants as well as reawakening my magical skills, sorely drained by the passage of time. By my will the Jotuns release Tjodulf from his sleep to serve me as he did in ages past, and I make of Tjodulf my Prophet, my WORD to the small Jotuns and the midgets who infest the world. From the depths of the forest Angerboda, Mother of Monsters, Doyenne of Witches, the Great Hag, joins me of her own free will, and I set her the task of seeking out sites of magic. After four turns of the clock of reason, I have once against mastered the most essential evocation and can bLast my enemies with ice, and I set forth with Tjodulf and his men to conquer. With two true Niefel giants and sixteen lesser Jotuns under Tjodulf’s command, and with my guard of winter wolves, our army is surely stronger than anything the midgets of the world can hope to counter. We march south, the ice flowing in my wake, and into destiny. Who knows what challenges the future will bring? World War Scenario with 16 impossible AIs, and… Peter Magus the Son of Niefel Water 9, Dominion 5, Niefelheim, Fortified City. Order 3, Production 1, Cold 3, Growth 3, Luck 0, Drain 3 (Note: Sliders optimised for storytelling, not necessarily efficiency) |
Re: Niefel AAR: "...Some Say In Ice"
Trekking south through the verdant Mammoth Forest of the South Siberian Highlands, the army turns to the south-east and invades Baikal, home of two-score midget-infantry.
They fall before the might of the Jotuns, and I congratulate Tjodulf of his excellent leadership as the Last fleeing midgets are crushed by his two soldiers of Niefel, who outpace all those, who would attempt to escape my implacable wrath. As I survey the bLasted battlefield, I see pale banners streaming in the wind from the hills to the South-East in Wei and to the North-East in the Yablonovy Range. There are many banners, and drums making a racous noise. From the stench and the noise, it is estimated that at least 50-60 midgets defend each province. The peasants of this province are only too pleased to tell the import of this view. The banners belong to the Tien Chi, a once proud nation overrun and conquered by vicious Barbarian Kings, who now rule from ashen thrones where once the philosopher-kings ruled, aye, even the Throne of Heaven in Hebei itself. Unmatched in battle, they ride domesticated beasts and utilise powerful bows. None could stand against them during the conquest, and now their word is law. Invincible midgets? What is the world coming to. With several neutral provinces to the South-West, and both to the East and West of my Siberian capital, my course is clear. I organise a local defense under the command of a Jotun Herse, and give Tjordulf the order: We march to Tien Chi and the Throne of Heaven itself. [ February 15, 2004, 23:02: Message edited by: Peter Ebbesen ] |
Re: Niefel AAR: "...Some Say In Ice"
Have you considered diplomacy?
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He's playing against the AI. The only diplomacy the AI understands is being beaten over the head.
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Re: Niefel AAR: "...Some Say In Ice"
hahaha.
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Re: Niefel AAR: "...Some Say In Ice"
Good start, I'm looking forward to the rest!
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Re: Niefel AAR: "...Some Say In Ice"
Heh. It reads like Laumer's "The Last Command" so far. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif
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Re: Niefel AAR: "...Some Say In Ice"
All kidding aside, it looks like it will be a great ride. I'm a fan of your EU2 AARs, so I am looking forward to reading more! Thanks for taking the time to do this!
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Re: Niefel AAR: "...Some Say In Ice"
I like the tone of this AAR a lot, you can feel yourself inside the big guy's boots.
Reminds me of Karsa Orlong (sp?): "May you slay a thousand children!" |
Re: Niefel AAR: "...Some Say In Ice"
…Some Say In Ice: The Fall of Wei
As the enemy draw up their lines on the plains before me, I order Tjodulf to ready his men. The puny Jotuns take centre rank, while the two Jotuns hold the flank with an order to strike deep at the enemy rear. Tjodulf and I take up position immediately behind the front ranks. Thanks to the diminutive size of the Jotuns, I have an excellent view. At Last a positive aspect to these most stunted of giants. In front of us dozens of heavy infantry backed by archers hold the centre while barbarian horse-archers ready for the kill. A Khan and an unmanned servant lead the armies of Tien Chi, a priest and a necromancer of some sort with flaming weapons and a host of spirits provide magical backup. It is not enough. As the arrows fall like hail on the Jotun ranks Tjordulf extends the blessing of my WORD in my NAME and the Niefel forces take heed. Power flows from me like a river as I increase their self-confidence, shield them with my divine magic, and bless them with the speed of the blizzard. The two of them tear through the screen of cavalry and fall on the enemy rear. Meanwhile, I laugh with joy as I launch an unending stream of balls of ice and frost over the Jotun ranks and into the heart of the enemy formation. I am awake again and none can stand against me. But soon, too soon, the glorious battle is over and the enemy fleeing, though few survive the fleet pursuit of the giants. Few indeed, but enough. Enough to tell the unexpecting world that the giants are on the march. The necromancer does not escape. In mortal pain, he reveals himself as a Master of the Dead, a lowly functionary in the Divine Order of Tien Chi, and he tells me of this order and of the barbarians he serve. And he tells me of the barbarian god. In ancient times the barbarians were a constant but in general negligible danger to the empire, as the clans spent most of their time fighting each other. Two hundred years ago, a great mage arose from the ranks of the Shamans, outstripping them in power like the sun unto the moon, and he made a pact with infernal forces selling his soul, not once, but twice, and he united the clans, and he conquered. Yet, in his very hour of victory, as the Prince of Heaven expired on the Throne of Heaven, the mage was struck down by divine lightning from the heavens above. The devils who rushed to gather his twice-damned soul were frustrated in their goals, however, as he transcended death as a lich of incredible powers. Foreswearing its powers of blood for those of the lord of the Underworld, the lich tore the devils to shreds and continued its quest for supremacy where the man had left off. Now, in the fullness of its powers, it is worshipped by the masses, a master of death and fire, has assumed divine powers, and it attempts to bring the world under its sway. These things happen all the time. Yet it will be a hot day in Niefelheim before I let such trivialities stop me. The masters of fire have ever been my true enemies, whether alive or dead; Even undead, as the case might be. I will scatter its essence and end its legend. Casualties having been light, with only two Jotuns dead at the arrowpoints of those cowardly archers, I order the men to bandage their wounds and get ready for the march on Hebei, the Imperial City, and the Throne of Heaven. I also let my WILL be made manifest back in Niefelheim, and the Jotuns begin digging out more of my Niefel guard from days of old. The Jotuns have proven to be unexpectedly fragile, so I might need a REAL army one of these days. We march south. ----------------------- </font>
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Re: Niefel AAR: "...Some Say In Ice"
…Some Say In Ice: The Throne of Heaven
“Then came he from the North and smashed the Throne of Heaven, and by his act divided old from new” – the Omega Question Supplies are low. The fleet inhabitants of T’ien C’hi are able to evade the foraging parties with distressing ease. As I suck the marrow from an oxe, I am minded that my men are getting uncomfortably lean. Yet my presence boosts their morale. What true soldier can remain dejected when his god walks with him? Thus morale remains high, despite the crippling disease that has afflicted most of the survivors of the failed attack on Hebei. Failed? Yes, in my heart I must remain honest. No tactical retreat, no advancement in retrograde, but defeat, hated defeat. A shame, really. After two months of siege, the fortified city was on the verge of falling, but who was to know that so many soldiers remained? Truly, their number of soldiers appears incalculable. Forty dead in the first skirmish, fifty in the second, and, finally, some eighty soldiers led by several Celestial Masters attacking Last month. It proved too much. Casualties were high. Ten invaluable Jotuns slain on the field of battle, their puny frames incapable of withstanding the arrows and glaives of T’ien C’hi.. I will not accept this. It will not be. Reinforcements from Siberia are marching to our relief even as I speak, six of my Niefel guard and 4 Jotuns, and my emissaries have gone out to seek the aid of mercenary archers. Though it tears my heart, I will have to rely on midgets for my next attack. Fortunately, their limited intellects should be able to understand their job. With mercenaries suppressing the enemy archers, the Niefel giants should be able to press the attack. And I have an extra advantage. Angerboda has been rounding up some sage midgets, and have had them working on spell research. When I enter battle next time, I will be quickened as I launch my cold bolts, and the enemy will freeze. It will be so. And so it came to pass. With mercenary scum eliminating the enemy archers, Tjordulf was able to goad the guard into a battle frenzy destroying all three T’ien C’hi armies that sought to hinder our return to the imperial city, and in front of the imperial city, with our bridges burned and the enemy hot on our heals, we tore down the walls, and we charged through the streets slaying all who would stand against us and all who impeded our progress, and we reached the Palace of Heaven itself. Through waves of magic that sought to tear them apart, the guard stormed the Palace of Heaven, and it slew the Lich’s guard and crushed its bones, evil misbegotten thing that it was, and they carried the day. In serried ranks they stood, four Niefel giants to a side, as I strode through the Palace and came unto an exquisite hall, the banners of a thousand families hanging from the walls, and in the centre of the hall, the Throne of Heaven, a pitiful man-shaped throne, perhaps, but one of immense symbolism to the natives. I smashed it with a single blow of my fist and I let slip my ice and my cold, and the hall froze, and I scattered the ashes of the lich to the four winds, and I saw that it was good. Though the lich was to return for battle many times, each fight would see it diminished and destroyed. Now, with the Throne of Heaven fallen and the power of T’ien C’hi broken, it is time to re-establish the lines of contact with the Jotun home and to take all that belonged to the Khans. It is said that far to the west, in Golden Samarkand, the Khans still rule, and I know that their writ is still accepted in most of Eastern Asia, but now is the time to reap the rewards of my toil. Rewards, yes, but also a time to prepare for war. On my western border, a nation born under a lucky star and led by astrologers seems intent on conquering, and it is rumoured that the winged folk of Caelum controls the central Asian highlands. The people of Hebei also tell of an ancient star that fell into the world-sea and spawned a race of monsters, the R’lyeh, who prey on them even to this day: Myth or legend? Time will tell. For now, a gentle campaign to reclaim Siberia would seem in order. Fall, Year 2 of the Ascension Wars http://pi2r.homepage.dk/dominions2/a..._of_heaven.jpg |
Re: Niefel AAR: "...Some Say In Ice"
Just want to say that I'm enjoying your storytelling immensely. Keep up the good work ... http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif
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Re: Niefel AAR: "...Some Say In Ice"
As always your AARs are great. Good work professor...even if you had to resort to midgets http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/tongue.gif
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Re: Niefel AAR: "...Some Say In Ice"
Ahh, finally, an AAR, from no one but the master of EU2 world conquest himself http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif
I like your style, keep it up, Mr. Ebbesen! |
Re: Niefel AAR: "...Some Say In Ice"
…Some Say In Ice: The Mother of Monsters
With the new temple erected to my honour in the old capital of T’ien C’hi, worship now flows to me from Siberia, Hebei, and Ultima Thule. It is a beginning. I have decided that Hebei, with its stores of ancient wisdom, will be the centre of my magical efforts. I call on Angerboda to take control of the city and to direct my mages in pursuit of the good work. I task her with summoning aid as required. From Siberia the giants will march and from Hebei the magic will flow and create regiments infinite. It will take time, and research, but it will be done. It is my will – and her destiny. The Great Hag, the Mother of Monsters, will bring forth new broods to trouble the world. To help her out, I summon a Sea King from the depths of the sea to provide her with an essential guard of sea trolls and order a Skratti to begin mass-producing clams of astral pearls. It is a beginning. From the fortress of the Jotuns march new armies to subdue eastern Siberia, while Tjordulf prepares to lead the survivors of the invasion army to subdue the countryside of T’ien C’hi. Despite all his men suffering from multiple battle afflictions, and half of them being diseased, their morale remains high, for I am with them, and who can lay idle when their God has returned? We march south, conquering all in our path, leaving a trail of blood and ice behind. Fully half of Siberia has been conquered, and it appears that the hoplites of Arcosphale have overrun the western holdings of T’ien C’hi. In front of us lies the mighty citadel of Ankor Wat, under the rule of rule, apparently, of giant lizards. Most peculiar. Apart from their outpost in Taiwan, this seems to be the only lizard outpost in the neighbourhood. The defending forces appear small and insignificant, and my army contains eight Niefel giants and twelve lesser Jotuns. I never did like lizards all that much in the first place. As we approach the fortress, Tjordulf readies the men for battle and bright battle is offered that overcast morning in the spring – but it is not the battle I expect. The cowardly lizards huddle behind the gates rather than offer battle and as we are unpacking the first tents we hear highly-pitches voices crying on the wind. From the heavens themselves, Caelum forces swoop down to the attack. Did they intend to attack the lizards or is this a fully intentional attack on me without provocation? I may never know. I brace myself against a swooping Caleum Iceclad, and prepare to bLast the hordes of winged archers with my icy spells, when I realise that they are most likely immune to the powers of cold. With a sigh I draw my sword and I prepare to stem the tide. We may be outnumbered eight to one, but we are giants and they are midgets. It will have to be enough. It too, is a beginning, of sorts. [ February 20, 2004, 01:17: Message edited by: Peter Ebbesen ] |
Re: Niefel AAR: "...Some Say In Ice"
Great stuff!
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Re: Niefel AAR: "...Some Say In Ice"
…Some Say In Ice: Things Fall Apart, the Centre Cannot Hold
The prowess of my Niefel Guard knows no limits! Most are suffering from three or four afflictions now, including the dreaded disease, yet they soldier on! Tjordulf claims it is because of the fresh mountain air, which is as likely an explanation as any. If only the Jotuns were half as tough. Casualties have been brutal. It is nigh on a year since the destruction of Caelum’s ten-score archers in the accidental battle of Angkor Wat, but the months have cost my cause dearly. Perceiving weakness, the ordered hoplites of Arcosphaele declared war and invaded following the debacle of Angkor Wat, and the swift winged blizzard warriors of Caelum have struck into my newly conquered lands of Siberia. My worshippers are down to a total of four temples again, due to the unfortunate habit of mine enemies to raze them to the ground. Only the temples within castles still stand tall and strong. It is most vexing. While my capital holds yet, all lines of communication have been cut, the outer line of defense wiped out. The 30-strong provincial defense backed up by Jotun Godes proved insufficient to the task of halting the hoplites. My capital will hold, though, as it’s defense is backed by Godes and Niefel Guards. Even so, I am under severe pressure, as even Ultima Thule is under attack by the High Seraphs! Things fall apart, the centre cannot hold. With a minor force holding Angkor Wat, I have had to strategically regroup back to Hebei, where Angerboda’s newest brood of monsters are ready to be thrown into the fray together with Jotun reinforcements. She now has two Sea Trolls, 2 Lamia Queens, and a Spectre aiding her in the unnatural conjuration process, and new monsters arrive on a daily basis. I will regroup, aye, and I will take every soldier and throw my forces like a spear straight and true into the Heart of Caelum, the secret Fastness in the depths of the Himalayas. I will not be denied: They shall learn to fear my wrath, for it is great indeed. Arcosphaele will just have to wait their turn. |
Re: Niefel AAR: "...Some Say In Ice"
Now the story is getting very interesting indeed ...
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Re: Niefel AAR: "...Some Say In Ice"
Forward the Professor!
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Re: Niefel AAR: "...Some Say In Ice"
…Some Say In Ice: Year Of The Troll
Grudgingly, I have come to value these watery monstrosities. From their spawning pool in the Celestial Palace of Hebei, ranks of Sea Trolls have marched, soggily, at the behest of their kings, to swell my growing armies. With their aid I have regained control of the countryside around Hebei and relieved Angkor Wat. While the road to Niefelheim is still blocked by the forces of Arcosphaele, news has arrived on the wintry wind of magnificent battles outside its icy walls, and the triumph of the defenders. Ane, the Jotun Gode leading the defense, has now gained a reputation for quickness and his blessings and sermons of courage spur on the defenders. I have no doubt that he will soon have amassed an army strong enough to begin reclaiming the surrounding forests. He had better. I will tolerate to failure. In the mountains, fighting has been fierce, but the brunt of the casualties has been born by the Sea Trolls sparing the fragile Jotuns of whom only a scant dozen remain in the South. As I survey my encampment in the ruins of an ancient temple in this comfortably cool Tibetan valley, I have high hopes for the battles to come. The guard is in high spirits, so Tjordulf assures me, and they are better provisioned than ever before. Sure, the magical food from the cauldrons Angerboda has prepared does not have the flavour of a good mammoth served raw and seasoned with herbs and a handful of salt, but it is filling. It sure beats eating ice. My lookout reports that only sixty or eighty defenders guard the crone, who holds the Heart of Caelum, and I have triumphed often enough in the past against larger armies of the birdmen On the morrow, we march, and the Himalayas will fall. |
Re: Niefel AAR: "...Some Say In Ice"
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Re: Niefel AAR: "...Some Say In Ice"
Awesome BR! Makes me want to give up R'lyeh...
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Re: Niefel AAR: "...Some Say In Ice"
Good to see you holding the capital.
When are we gonna se an UPDATE! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif |
Re: Niefel AAR: "...Some Say In Ice"
...Some Say In Ice: The Roof of the World
Deus et natura nihil faciunt frustra! The air is thin, here on the Roof of the World, yet it is here, in the Heart of Caelum, that I shall crush the fragile birdmen into dust, destroy their false idols, level their temples, and end the power of the Crone. Through the bright morning sun I see the banners of Caelum advancing over the crest of the mountain, and even as I order the Guard to prepare for the assault, the first arrows begin falling from the skies above, as the Blizzard Warriors take wing. As my Sea Trolls tear through the massed ranks of midget infantry they are assaulted on all sides by heavily armoured Storm Guards, the elite close combat fighters of Caelum. The air cackles with the flailing lightning strikes from the High Seraphs, the masters of air magic, who strike my front lines with impunity. Behind my watery allies march ranks of Jotuns in phalanx, their long spears pointing towards the sun, a sea of wooden shafts that foils arrows with ease. Cruelly whittled down by the deadly disease, the remaining six members of the Niefel Guard cover the right flank and strike for the enemy rear. Over the massed ranks Tjordulf and I send cold bolt upon cold bolt hurtling into the enemy’s infantry formations, but there are so many, so very many of them, even as we blot them out with impunity. My wolven pets rend an over-ambitious iceclad limb from limb as it tries to strike me down by surprise, and I laugh as its bright steaming blood drenches the snow. The infantry and mages of Caelum are taking a drastic toll on my Sea Trolls, yet even so, they are falling to my superior might. Even as the few remaining Trolls break ranks and scatter to the four winds, the Jotun Guard lowers their spears and charges into the massed ranks of the enemy. None can stand against them, and as panic spreads throughout the enemy ranks, their proud army is reduced to a mob. Alas, the surviving High Seraphs manage to take wing and escape, but the better part of their force is destroyed, and their land-bound troops are eradicated to the Last midget. The Glorious First Battle of the Himalayas sees winter triumphant! We celebrate the great victory with a mighty feast, as food is now in great supply. Though the Trolls are all destroyed or fled, the Jotun Guard came through the battle nearly unscathed. Their valour is great! They will prove sufficient. Chosen pickets watch the Mountain Citadel from which the crone must be anxiously watching our progress, but tomorrow will be soon enough to invest the fortification. How brief is peace, how fleeting tranquillity? The walls are damaged and will soon be torn down, and my domain is increasing in strength with each passing day, yet it seems that the Crone has summoned reinforcements to save the Raven’s Vale and her own skin. A scant month or two have passed, yet it is enough. On quick wings the word has spread and the might of Caelum has gathered from the corners of the world to retake their capital and save their false god before the fortress falls. It is pathetic. Again, we take up our weapons and prepare to meet the onslaught from the west and south, yet something is not as it was meant to be. A terrible omen is seen in the sky and rather than the swift sure cries of the Storm Guards heralding the coming of Caelum, the approaching armies appear to be land-bound! Trumpeting shatters quiet that has descended on the mountain, and the hidden and unsuspected might of Caelum advances over a broad front. Regiments of vile Caelum Sea Trolls, monstrously summoned away from their natural habitat to pursue the pretender’s deluded dreams of power, form a broad front. On their right, midget infantry. On their left, mammoths trained for warfare. Who could have known that the birdmen would have succeeded in enslaving such wondrous and powerful beasts? Magical serpents slither across the snow in their wake and behind them all, the magical might of Caelum. Seven High Seraphs, a host of lesser Seraphs, and several Seraphines, shed their light over the land-bound ranks. It is possible that I have performed a slight miscalculation. Orb lightning strikes my Jotun Guard shortly before the Sea Trolls charge into engagement range, and it is only the beginning. Of High Seraphs, there are seven, and they let loose with the full fury of their considerable magical arsenal, knowing that, should they fail, their cause will be lost. Second battle of the Himalayas, Year 4 of the Ascension Wars http://pi2r.homepage.dk/dominions2/a...an_capital.jpg Of that troublesome day, I shall speak no more. Suffice to say that 80% of my armies fell, fighting to their Last, and that it took all my considerable powers to withdraw Tjordulf and the few survivors from the fray. Through mountains passes we strode, as fast as mortally possible, as we made our escape back through the provinces that we had subdued in such high spirits a season before. The fools begin pursuit and they praise their victory in their abysmal ignorance. The will of the God will neither denied nor circumvented, as they will learn to their everLasting sorrow, the few who survive the harrowing that is to come. I am the God, and I lived when the world was young, and I will not let some third-rate pretender deny me my destiny. It will take many months to rebuild the destroyed armies of Sea Trolls, yet I am sure Angerboda is even now carrying out her experiments. I shape a crimson dove of my desire and send it winging for Angerboda in Hebei. It contains a single order with cataclysmic impact. “Open the Ether Gates” [ February 28, 2004, 11:43: Message edited by: Peter Ebbesen ] |
Re: Niefel AAR: "...Some Say In Ice"
Peter, your writing just gets better and better. Nicely done. And I like the touch you added to the pic by labelling the elephants as "food". LOL
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Re: Niefel AAR: "...Some Say In Ice"
Damn shame you lost the second battle of Himalayas.
Ice vs. Ice = Seatrolls it seems [ February 28, 2004, 11:22: Message edited by: Bossemanden ] |
Re: Niefel AAR: "...Some Say In Ice"
VERY nice writing http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif
That sentence in Latin intrigued me "Deus et natura nihil faciunt frustra!", but since my Latin is fairly rusted I can only guess about the meaning here, is it something like "God and nature do nothing without reason" ? CharonJr |
Re: Niefel AAR: "...Some Say In Ice"
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Strictly speaking, just about everything except for the Sea Trolls counts as food, but there is good eating on those mammoths! Quote:
Caelum's use of them caught me completely by surprise and unprepared. I mean, I had fought them in more than 30 battles over the Last two years, and I had only ever seen flying troops and the usual light infantry used. Being hit by a force based around four Sea Kings and their retinues (60 Sea Trolls!), more Sea Trolls than I had ever gathered in one army before, backed up by those damnable mammoths (capable of trampling Jotuns!) and more mages and priests than you can count on two hands... Was nothing short of an unmitigated disaster. Those happen - the important thing is to put them behind you, regroup, and return with a vengeance. As always, once you know the AI force-composition that you need to defeat, it is fairly easy to take countermeasures - and I had been piling up those astral gems faster than I could burn them anyhow, having no dedicated Acasric Record mage yet http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif |
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[ February 28, 2004, 12:10: Message edited by: Peter Ebbesen ] |
Re: Niefel AAR: "...Some Say In Ice"
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-or- "God and nature do not create without reason." -or- "God and nature do not create in vain." It can also translate to: "Even God did not come into existence without purpose." |
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You're supposed to *sacrifice* the midgets, not *eat* them. Damn overgrown frigid cannibal! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/tongue.gif http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif |
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Re: Niefel AAR: "...Some Say In Ice"
How goes the cold, cold war? In other words: UPDATE! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif
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Re: Niefel AAR: "...Some Say In Ice"
...Some Say In Ice: The Rift
Sometimes, I fear Tjordulf is intellectually challenged. A sad truth, but it is so. "Master", he cries, "my eyes are watering." Of course they are. Any mortal's eyes would be under the circumstances. The rift tears at sanity while unearthly voices disharmoniously cry silent screams of death from the ice-cold void between the stars and beyond the pale. Unstable, ridiculously expensive to manufacture, and undoubtedly dangerous, the rift is open. At my side, Angerboda shakes with the strain of maintaining it. Behind me, my Jotun guard, ready to repel invaders. I raise my hand to silence the crowd, and all stand silent as Angerboda exerts herself, arcane strands of astral power dragging an Ether Lord through the rift. Fearful visage of terrible mien, the Ether Lord defeats rationality. Banished he was along with his fellows for good and sufficient reasons when the world was young, but I am in need of crack troops, and there are none better. As he struggles within Angerboda's strands, I encase him in ice, and I lay my hand on him and bind him with my WORD, and he is subjugated - for now. He hates my binding and would betray me in a minute but my binding restrains him. And he is only the first. Now the rift is open, I will allow a veritable flood through. Two full clans, I estimate, can yet be kept under control. Three, now, that is uncertain, and I really do not want any of them running loose - especially not the Ether Lords, but two clans, that I can manage. With thirty Ether Warriors, two Ether Lords, a dozen Jotuns, and a score water trolls, Tjordulf and I set out again for the Himalayas. Let the crone dread our coming, for the will of the God will NOT be denied. |
Re: Niefel AAR: "...Some Say In Ice"
As always well written and with loads of athmosphere.
Ether gate: One of the spells I´ve never actually tried out. Can we get a screenshot of the next battle of the Himalayas featuring Ether lords and warriors? |
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As for screenshots, my writing is now two weeks behind my playing, so I will have to see which screenshots I took at the time. Hopefully I can find one with Ether Warriors. |
Re: Niefel AAR: "...Some Say In Ice"
Never speak of Ether Gate again.
It is crap. You do not want to cast it. Really. For real. 90 astral pearls? Much better stuff to spend them on. Not on etheral giants with mooon blades. Really. Keep them for a dispel, http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif |
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That said, 90 astrals is kind of steep, but who am I to talk? I blow through astrals like they're candy, spending over 1500 on a single unit. |
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That said, 90 astrals is kind of steep, but who am I to talk? I blow through astrals like they're candy, spending over 1500 on a single unit. </font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">1500? Repeated Wish? -Gateway103 [ March 12, 2004, 07:22: Message edited by: Gateway103 ] |
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EDIT: The inquistive reader will remember that I have had a Skratti in Niefelheim whose sole job has been to produce clams of pearl since around turn 20 or so. He may be getting a bit bored by now, but it has assured that my astral income is the highest gem income of all - despite not having searched for astral, due to a lack of astral mages http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif [Of course, I am hampered here by my own restriction on only using midgets as an absolutely Last resort, but that is my choice and putting restrictions on my play makes for more interesting games http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif ] The hallmark of a superior player in any game is to make use of what he has when an unanticipated situation arises [while still obeying any restrictions he has laid on himself], ignoring conventional wisdom when appropriate. In this case, land troops that can stand up to masses of regenerating trolls and archers are needed - and Ether Gate provides a convenient answer as it provides an instant army and can be cast with magical resources currently on hand. The fact that I also gain extra mages [SSSDD*] that fill out a lacking area (astral magic) is icing on the cake. Assigning a value of 15 astral gems to the Ether Lord [a bit low], the cost of each Ether Warrior is a mere 5 astral gems - and you get all of them at the cost of one summoning turn from one leader. Name any unit summoning spell of level 6 or lower that provides more bang for the buck or any spell of level six or lower that, powered by 90 astral gems, can defeat several large armies in a sequence of battles. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif I would value them less in MP, as their ethereality is worth less against a devious player that knows to attack with magic weaponry of one sort or another, but this is SP. [ March 12, 2004, 07:48: Message edited by: Peter Ebbesen ] |
Re: Niefel AAR: "...Some Say In Ice"
Peter, you're probably wasting your time. Those that think the spell isn't worth it have likely never used it, or used it properly. The spell not only gives you another caster that can in turn cast the spell, but the 15 warriors are pretty hard to kill (high prot & ethereal, high morale, good MR), and cannot be banished like undead can (which are the only other comparably-tough summons to them). You simply have to see this force in action to appreciate it. You and I can talk about it until our fingers cramp up and it still wouldn't do justice to the spell.
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I couldn't comment on whether the spell is a contender in Multiplayer games, where the astral pearls might indeed be needed elsewhere, but in single player games it is both fun and very useful. PS: I've only played Jotunheim once, but Angerboda turned up shortly after I had cast "Illwinter", and her character description mentions something about her turning up because she had sensed the approach of the Illwinter. Is she really keyed to this event, or is it just a bit of background colour? |
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[ March 15, 2004, 16:51: Message edited by: fahdiz ] |
Re: Niefel AAR: "...Some Say In Ice"
I love the way you do your AAR with touched-up screen captures. Some of the more interesting battles might be fun to watch as mpegs (movies).
If you run into space troubles with your hompage site let me know and I can set you up with a hosted account |
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For test purposes, I used the following free software: MandSofts Screen Movie Studio for the capture and VirtualDub, a SourceForge project, which is exceedingly easy to use for video manipulation. Quote:
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Re: Niefel AAR: "...Some Say In Ice"
...Some Say In Ice: The Fall of Caelum
The dawn is always bright in the snow-tipped Himalayan mountains as the day’s first rays of glorious light reflect from the ice-covered heights and form ethereal light-patterns in the snow. The gentle sounds of the nearby river soothe my passionate soul as it flows ever eastwards towards distant Hebei. Only the sound of Jotuns shoring up the river disturbs the silence, but they are only doing their job. Red, bright red, flows the river, and with it the lifeblood of Caelum, spilled on the field of battle and in the first bright days of slaughter following the conquest. As I stretch to my full height, I notice another winter wolf rising from the depression where I have rested, a spirit of the living ice, formed by the loving ice that ever yearns to embrace me. They make decent servants but poor company, alas. I kick the cur and it slavishly yelps its appreciation as it jumps at my feet. As I survey the cracked ice and the field of slaughter, my gaze falls on the fallen trolls, frozen in their final moments, on the half-dozen Jotuns, felled by the magic of the High Seraphs, and on the hundreds of corpses sinking into the ice’s final embrace, the unyielding cold absorbing the Last heat of the once-living. It is a scene of horror, I guess, in the eyes of the weak, yet I see it and it is good. No shade remains nor will any tomb be raised for the five Ether Warriors who fell in the battle. Their Lasting legacy will be the dozens of soldiers struck down by the nether energies of their lords’, corpses shredded and partially shifted into the ether, and the bloody path the warriors follows, which guarantees them a place in the legends of my people. I have ordered the two clans to cut their separate path through the remaining possessions of Caelum, and they go about their work with a vile joy that is literally out of this work. Their effectiveness is impressive, though, for none can stand against them. News is good these days. My growing giant armies in the north have reconquered Siberia and now guard Kamchatka from the huge American continent. Subjected to constant attacks from the die-hard Caelumese American forces, they yet hold. With the north and east secured, and with the wary peace with the star-spawned monsters that infest the seas off my eastern coast holding, I can now turn my attention to the west, to Arcoscephale. For too long have they threatened my capital, for too long have they escaped my righteous wrath! Now it is time for Tjodulf and I to part ways. While I take care of the west, he can take care of the South. From Australia a most unbecoming heat streams ever northwards, disturbing the nice weather of Asia. Tjodulf must put an end to it, no matter the cost. http://pi2r.homepage.dk/dominions2/a...winter_map.jpg One day, I will have to find this pretender god of Pythium. A mage most puissant, no doubt, he will be yet another victim of my destiny unless he chooses to serve me. I always reward my servants well, which is why I have good servants, and true. Where Seraphs once ruled in the Himalayas, now the Palace of the Heirarchs throng with the living dead, a stable for the undead horsemen that arrive in ever increasing numbers from the dark ladies of Hebei. Angerboda’s cadre of mages grows stronger with each passing season and the shades of long dead barbarian kings, reanimated by her unholy magic, now strive to obey her bidding where they once ruled in life. With more than two dozen astral gems generated each month by the numerous clams of pearls created by the Skrattis, she has now turned her formidable attention to finding the magic of the land. http://pi2r.homepage.dk/dominions2/a...nter_magic.jpg Even so, one must take precautions and not trust the undead further than one can scatter their bones. They tend to take orders much too literally. As a tactic, “forming the square” makes sense at times, but the Bane Lords take this tactic to absurd extremes. http://pi2r.homepage.dk/dominions2/a...r_skirmish.jpg Ah, well, in this as in so many other respects, you get what you pay for, and what I wish to pay for I wish to pay for in blood. The Skrattis are out in force now, harvesting the midgets for virgins brimming with life force, and though virgins are few and far between as many treacherously evade their rightful fate by sinful disobedience to their god’s order to stay chaste, that does have the added benefit of increasing the herds, so to speak. If I cannot harvest them, I will harvest their children. They are only midgets, after all, and live but to serve my will. The day will dawn when I bring on the illwinter to rouse the Rimtursar. It is only a matter of time. But for now it is time for Angerboda to cast the Gift of Health with such an overwhelming force that it will master one of the existing global enchantments and I, I will begin, at long Last, to regain my lost powers by drawing on the powers of the gems to re-empower my mastery over the elements. The Niefel giants deserve no less for their good service. http://pi2r.homepage.dk/dominions2/a...ing_heroes.jpg [ March 20, 2004, 17:53: Message edited by: Peter Ebbesen ] |
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